Traditionally users have interacted with computers using a keyboard and mouse; however the use of touch input is becoming increasingly popular, particularly for portable devices such as smart phones and tablet computers. Larger form factor devices which enable touch input by users have also been developed and such devices include surface computing devices. Surface computing devices enable a user to interact directly with digital content displayed on a large horizontal display (in a tabletop form factor) using multiple fingers (multi-touch input). These devices provide a user with a standard two-dimensional (2D) display in a similar manner to that provided by desktop computing devices.
3D displays are available in the form of computer monitors and 3D televisions and although many of these require viewers to use special eyewear (e.g. such that each eye receives a different image), displays have been developed which do not require this and are hence referred to as ‘auto-stereoscopic’.
The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known surface computing devices.